Playlist for Love Soul Revival Note: The original versions of the songs are included in the Playlist
1. Simply Red – “If You Don't Know Me By Now”
(1989
– Original by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, 1972)
“We all got our own funny moods. I’ve got mine, woman you got yours too.” Accepting someone for who they are, and not
what you want them to be, is the hardest thing that I can think of in this
crazy world. It is much easier find
fault in someone than to accept them.
Hate is not the opposite of love, because there is passion in hate; the
real counterpoint is ambivalence. Harold
Melvin and the Blue Notes, featuring the late Teddy Pendergrass,
recorded this song, but it was originally intended for the girl group LaBelle. The cover of this song was Simply Red’s
greatest hit, and they keep the soul alive in this version. It’s heartbreaking and cathartic, and I hold
on to hope that the couple in the song work things out, but sometimes you just
have to let go.
2. Paul Young – “Oh Girl”
(1990 – Original by
the Chi-lites, 1972)
As the Beatles once sang, “All the lonely
people, where do they all come from” (“Eleanor Rigby”– 1966) I find
myself stating the obvious—they’re everywhere.
This song borders on codependency, but the search for a lover in this
life isn’t always an easy journey.
There is so much advice on how to keep a partner, and I know it’s cliché,
but sometimes you have to let someone go in order to have them in your
life. Again, communication is vital in
any relationship. You can get advice
from friends, but what it really boils down to is you have to be able to
receive love as well as give it. Tell
the people in your life what they mean to you.
Paul Young’s soulful voice plucks at your heart stings and plays them
with divine brilliance.
3. The Commitments – “Bring It On Home To Me”
(1991
– Original by Sam Cooke, 1962)
This is another one of those songs that has been
covered by dozens of artists. It is a
testament to great music when so many people identify with a song and want to
make it their own. This version is
taken from the movie, “The Commitments,” which is about a working class
Dublin band that embraces soul music.
The movie is a cautionary tale about keeping the music front and center
and not letting all of the details distract you. The song, itself, is about infidelity, but its message is about
forgiveness and a plea to rekindle the magic that was once a part of the
relationship. Lou Rawls, sings
backup on the original, but is unaccredited.
4. Basia – “Until You Come Back to Me”
(1989/90
– Original by Stevie Wonder, but made popular by Aretha Franklin,
1973)
This is a hopeful song, because people can change. Sometimes there is a reason
that a relationship is over and there is nothing we can do about it. Learning to live with loss is something that
you never really get over, but with time, it gets easier to handle. This song, however, is what I call the “New
Evidence” rule in relationships. It
is possible to plead you case and let him or her judge if a you will
be paroled from loneliness. Basia’s
version is playful without being stalkeresque and I like the lighter side of
the subtext. Aretha
is still the queen, but there is room for reasonable doubt when it comes to
love.
5. Seal – “I've Been Loving You Too Long”
(2008
– Original by Otis Redding, 1965)
This goes in the category of “Aint Too Proud To
Beg” songs because you have to take your ego out of the situation to save
something that has stood the test of time.
Sometimes we take advantage of a relationship and don’t do the work that
we need to do to keep love alive. Seal’s
version is ironic in that he is currently estranged from his beautiful wife Heidi
Klum. This song is taken from the
first of two Soul cover albums, “Soul”(2008) and “Soul 2”(2011),
in his repertoire. This was Otis’s
first big hit, though he had been on the music scene since 1962. This song gained popularity when the Rolling
Stones recorded it for their live album, “Got Live If You Want It!”(1965),
and in return Otis recorded a version of “(I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction” on his third record, “Otis Blue”(1965). It does my heart good to see the synergy of
great musicians in mutual admiration.
6. Joan Osborne – “What Becomes Of The Broken
Hearted”
(2002 – Original by Jimmy Ruffin, 1962)
This performance is taken from the documentary film
“Standing in the Shadows of Motown”(2002) and should be mandatory
viewing for anyone that has a little bit of soul in them. The great thing about Joan’s version
is that the original house band of Motown, the Funk Brothers,
backs her up on this song. Although the song was earmarked for the group The Spinners, Jimmy (the older brother of Temptations lead singer David Ruffin) persuaded
lyricist James Dean (not the actor) to be the one to record the
single. It would be Jimmy’s only
hit, but this song has found life with many other artists, including a version
by Paul Young, for the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”(1991/92).
7. Tina Turner – “Let’s Stay Together”
(1983 –
Original by Al Green, 1971)
Though I like to put these songs in chronological
order, I wanted to end this list with healing instead of hurting. This was a great song for Tina,
and revived her career one year before the release of her phenomenal comeback album, “Private Dancer”(1984). The vocal range in this version is out of
this world, and who wouldn’t take Tina back after hearing her version of this
song? Of course, this is a classic Al
Green song, and it has never really gone out of style.
It has a timeless message in that all relationships have their up’s and
down’s but you gotta stick it out for the ones you love in this life. I can’t think of a better way to heal a
hurting soul, than with this list of soulful classics about
Love.
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